LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The company set to light the sky over the Strip on New Year’s Eve has been creating pyrotechnic spectacles since the 1850s.
Fireworks by Grucci, a Long Island-based leader in the industry, has a history of producing themed fireworks extravaganzas in Las Vegas, but it also has created bang and brilliance at eight U.S. presidential inaugurations, the Olympic Games and World Fairs, and also is a Guinness World Records holder for the largest fireworks display in multiple cities.
The company’s history in the U.S. dates to when Angelo Lanzetta, founder and great-grandfather to Felix Grucci Sr., left southern Italy in 1870 for Elmont, New York, on Long Island.
According to the company’s website, Lanzetta ran the business until his death in 1899, and then his son, Anthony Lanzetta, took over. In 1923, Anthony Lanzetta brought in nephew Felix Grucci Sr. to serve as an apprentice. The company moved from Long Island to Miami briefly and returned to the Long Island village of Bellport in 1929.
Felix Grucci Sr. worked with his wife, Concetta, in developing a regional clientele and audience, especially in New Jersey and Connecticut, according to the website.
In 1976, the nation’s bicentennial year, the Grucci fireworks show on the Charles River for the Boston Pops Orchestra proved to be a major score.
Another major achievement came in 1979, when the Gruccis became the first American family to win the Gold Medal for the United States at the annual Monte Carlo International Fireworks Festival, beating highly regarded competitors from Denmark, France, Italy and Spain.
The company has produced shows at every presidential inauguration since Ronald Reagan in 1981 and has helped open major casinos in Las Vegas since The Mirage in 1989.
In addition, there have been shows at centennial celebrations for the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.
In Las Vegas, Fireworks by Grucci also has produced several Fourth of July extravaganzas.
On New Year’s Eve, the Grucci display — part of America’s Party: Las Vegas New Year 2023 — will launch from several Strip casinos. It marks the 18th New Year’s Eve show in Las Vegas; their first was 2001.
Today, the business moves into the sixth generation; the company’s leader is Felix (Phil) Grucci, president and CEO.
On the website, Gruccu says: “The Grucci family has worked tirelessly to maintain our family heritage and core values and a commitment to creating lifelong memories for all they touch.”